Display device



Nov. 1, 1932. w. B. w|| -sbN 1,885,973

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed-March 5, 1930 In men for.

MY/fam M750 n, Jwnma, JQM' Patented Nov. 1, 1232 UNITED STATES WILLIAMB. WILSON, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIES-NE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO METLOX CORPORATION, LTD., OF MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIFORNIA, A

CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA DISPLAY DEVICE Application filed March 5,1930. Serial No. 433,344.

This invention relates to display devices, and particularly pertains todetached elements for signs.

In the construction and operation of signs employing luminous tubes asilluminating means, it is desirable to insure that the tubes areimpressed with a predetermined voltage, and it is further desirable toprovide a w1ring arrangement which will satisfactorily comply with therequirements of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, and theNational Electric Code, and which wiring arrangement makes it possiblefor the various tubes forming designs or letters to be readily mountedand assembled in forming a sign, and to be readily connectedelectrically, while insuring that fire hazard will be eliminated andthat a predetermined voltage in individual tubes will'be individuallymaintained.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a sign unitcomprising a background carrying sockets and a luminous tube, and uponthe back of which background is mounted a transformer box in which anindividual transformer is housed for the luminous tube forming a part ofthat sign unit, and which transformer is provided with electricalconnections whichmay be easily secured to the feed wires. v

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing in which:

7 Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing an assembled sign of theclass described.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showing one unit of the sign.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in vertical section through one of the signunits and the box within which it is mounted, and further shows theindividual transformer therefor.

Fig. 4 is a view in horizontal section through a sign showing theposition of the sign units and one manner in which they may I beelectrically connected with feed wires of a duplex electric circuit.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged viewin horizontal section showing another form ofelectrical connections for the various units.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 10 indicates a box in whicha plurality of sign units 11 are positioned. The box 10 is formed withtop and bottom walls 12 and 13, end walls 14 and 15, and aback wall 16.

These various walls provide a closed box of opening 21 in the face 17 ofthe box. By

reference to Figs. 4 and 5 it will be seen that the background plates 18are formed with their major portions in a single vertical plane, andwith one edge bent to be offset rearwardly from the vertical plane, asindicated at 22, whereby the background elements will be caused tooverlap each other along contiguous edges and form a sign backgroundhaving a substantially continuous face. In the present instance the signbackground is shown as being of sheet metal. t will be understood,however, that other materials might be used, such as wood, porcelain, orother ceramic materials.

- Carried upon the back of each of the background members 18 is atransformer box 23 which is housed within the box and is of a dimensionto insure that its walls will be adequately spaced from the walls of thebox.

Mounted within each of the transformer boxes is a transformer 2 1, whichis designed Serial No. 271,831, although other types of sockets may beused without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Attention is directed to the fact that instead of having one transformerfor the feed wires as is now common practice, each letter will beequipped with a transformer designed to take current from a common lineand to deliver a current of suitable voltage and amperage to theindividual sign letter. Due to this arrangement it is unnecessary forthe sign builder to be familiar with the electrical mathematics involvedin assemblin a transformer upon a line using luminous tub es, sincethetube units are designed and permanently wired for a particularluminous tube, and in a manner to insure that it has the proper andconstant current supply.

Another feature of considerable importance in sign construction at thepresent time is to eliminate the use of bare wires and a multiplicity ofconductor joints. In order to meet this requirement and to make itpossible for the various sign units to be readily I s m bled, the feedwires 25, as shown in Fig. 4-, are provided with wires 33 and 34 leadingtojfemale socket members 35 which are asmmbled with male socket members36 carried at some point u on the transformer box and be' thus rea ilyassembled without electrica or fire hazard. It will be also evident thatsuch a construction will reduce the cost of assembl and wiring and willmake a sign highly desirable from the standpoint of an inexperiencedsign builder who purchases the individual sign units in wholesale lotsand sets up the signs as orders are obtained for them.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 of the drawingcomplementary socket memhere 37 and 38 are rigidly mounted upon ad=jaoent sides of. the transformer box 23, so that when the sign units areshoved into position all of the electrical connections will be properlymade and will be of a character to pass the inspection of fireunderwriters.

In operation of the present invention, a box may be constructed as shownin the drawi g, and the letter units assembled. Theseunits have beenpreviously constructed to carry out a design of any desiredconfiguration and are preferably made to utilize luminous tube lights.Each of the sign units 1 has been fitted with a transformer of apredetermined capacity which has a direct relation to the electricalcharacteristics of the luminous tube and the current carried in theieedline. After the preferred designs have been selected they may beslipped into the box,,.as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and may beelectrically connected in succession bythe means shown in Fig. 4 and themeans shown in Fig. 5.

It .will thus be seen that the device here disclosed provides simplemeans whereby luminous tube sign units may be constructed withoutreference to the sign upon which they are to be used, and. may bereadilyl assembled with certainty that they will comply with electricalspecifications, and will also meet with the standard requirements of thefire underwriters.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, as now known tome, it will be understood that various changes might be made in thecombination, construction and arrangement of parts without departingfrom the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a sign structure, a casing having a guide in its front portion,and a plurality of luminous gas tube sign units disposed in the guide,and adjacent to each other, each of said units having a pair ofseparable connectors so arranged that the act of mountin the units inthe guide in adjacent relatlonship causes the connectors to engage thecorresponding connectors on the adjacent units.

2.'In a sign structure, a casing having a guiding slide structure in itsfront portion, and a plurality of luminous tube sign units disposed inthe guide and adjacent to each other, each of said units having a panelupon which the luminous tube is mounted, and a pair of rigidly supportedseparable connectors on the unit, one at each side of the unit, andarranged to coact with the correspondin connectors of the adjacentunits, for con ucting electrical energy to all the units.

3. In a sign structure, a casing having a guiding slide structure in itsfront portion, and a plurality of luminous tube sign units disposed inthe guide and adjacent to each other, each of said units having a panelupon which the luminous tube is mounted, a transformer supported on theback of the panel and connected to the unit to supply it with electricalenergy, and a pair of rigidly supported separable connectors, on theunit, one at each side thereof, and arranged to coact with thecorresponding connectors of the adjacent units, for conductingelectrical energy to all of the transformers.

4. In a sign structure, a plurality of units placed in edge to edgerelation and arranged to form a display at the front of said structure,each unit comprising a luminous gas tube and a support therefor, meansforming a separable circuit through the tubes, said means comprisingconnectors correspondingly arranged on the units and so positioned thatthe act of placing them in said relation engages a connector of eachunit with the adjacent connector of the next unit.

WILLIAM B. WILSON.

